Rail-joint.



M. MARTIN.

RAH. JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23, 1915.

Patented F61 29,1916.

4, I Snow uh M- Mar/rm 7 r v l UNITE STAES PA ET FFIQE.

MIKE MARTIN, 0F RANKIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JO INT.

Application filed December 23, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I MIKE MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rankin, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail joints.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a connecting scarf joint for abutting rail ends whereby the rails are securely arranged in operative longitudinal alinement, being secured in place without the employment of additional hold-fast devices.

A further object of the device is to provide an inexpensive rail joint obviating the employment of the usual fish plates and bolts and providing a locking joint between the adjacent ends of contiguous railway rails, the arrangement being such as to permit the rails to be easily disassembled when desired and to furnish a secure overlapping joint when assembled preventing any jarring to the rolling stock sometimes incident to the usual slight spacing of the rails.

In carrying out the invention by the present arrangement and form, the overlapping scarf ends are provided upon the adjacent rails, one end of each rail being supplied with wedging slots adapted for the reception of projecting bolts carried by the other end portion, the rails being slidably moved into locking engagement with each other and when operatively arranged forming a substantially continuous rail of uniform cross-sectional area.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint of the present form, the rails being broken away. Fig. 2 is a view thereof illustrating the looking or assembling operation. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view upon line III-III of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2a, 1916.

Serial No. 68,380.

Fig. 1, and Fig. t is alongitudinal sectional view upon line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the present form of joint is illustrated in connection with the end portions of two ra ls 10 and 11. The opposite ends of each rail are designed to be severed substantially centrally and longitudinally thereof forming equal sized recesses 12 at the ends of each rall and whereby the adjacent reduced ends 13 and 14 of the rails 10 and 11 respectively interfit when overlapped in forming a rail of the same cross-sectional dimensions as either the rails 10 or 11. The end faces 15 of the reduced ends 13 and 14 of the rails are arcuate in form conforming to the shape of the shoulders 16 at the inner end of the cut-away portions 12. The opposite ends of each rail are similarly formed being cutaway upon opposite sides and whereby each rail 1s provided with opposite ends of the form shown by the rail ends 13 and 14 and having the locking means hereinafter referred to.

One of the ends of each rail 13 is provided with oppositely positioned arcuate slots 17 through the reduced web 18 thereof, the said slots being of a curvature conforming to the arcs of the same radius. Projecting bolts 19 having flat heads 20 are carried by the inner face of the companion end 14 and are spaced apart the same distance as the slots 17, the bolt heads 20 being receivable through the enlarged circular ends 21 of the said slots, the said receiving ends of the slots being arranged at the opposite ends of the slots of each pair, while the other ends 22 of the slots are circular in form, but of less diameter than the receiving ends and of substantially the same diameter as the bolts 19. The opposite sides 23 of the slots 17 are inclined from the receiving ends 21 toward the locking ends 32 thereof, forming gradual wedging planes.

When desired to position the rails 10 and 11 in operative alinement, the slotted end 13 of the rail 10 is tilted and brought into flat engagement with the rail end 14 with the free end face 15 and the shoulder 16 of the adjacent rails in sliding engagement with each other.

The bolt heads 20 are positioned through the receiving ends 21 of the slots 17 and upon moving the rail 10 to its horizontal position in longitudinal alinement with the rail 11, the inclined slot edges 13 engage beneath the bolt heads 20, thus forcing the rail faces firmly together until the heads 20 are received overlying the sides of the smaller ends 22 of the slots and in which the bolts 19 are seated, being locked therein by the wedged position of the overlying heads 20.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is What is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without de parting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim, as new is 1., A device of the class described comprising in combination with the adjacent overlapped ends of railway rails having onehalf of their width cut-away upon opposite sides forming curved faces upon the reduced rail ends in abutting contact with curved shoulders at the inner ends of the cut-away portions, spaced projecting bolts having enlarged heads arranged upon the inner face upon one of said reduced ends, the cooperating end portion of the companion rail having opposite curved slots for the said bolts, each of the said slots having an enlarged circular receiving end, and a reduced circular seating end for the said bolts, the sides of the said slots being of inclined wedging formation intermediate the said circular ends thereof.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a railway rail having the ends thereof cutaway upon opposite sides forming reduced end portions, the terminal face of each end portion being curved, the rails being provided with curved shoulders at the inner ends of the said cut-away portions, inwardly projecting spaced-apart headed bolts carried by one reduced end and the other reduced end being provided with spaced inwardly curved retaining slots, each of the said slots having a receiving end of greater diameter than the heads of the said bolts and also having an opposite seating end of substantially the same diameter as the said bolts, the sides of the said slots being provided with inclined wedging faces intermediatev the said ends thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MIKE MARTIN.

lVitnesses:

IGNATZ HoRR, MICHAEL BUKOVAS.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. a 

